Do You Take Gifts To A Retirement Party?

You’re invited to a retirement party and you’re probably wondering if you should bring a gift. Well, I did some research and created this article to help you out.

It’s customary to take a retirement gift to a retirement party. It’s a sign of good manners and appreciation. The gift you take to the retirement party is a gift that matches the retiree’s hobbies, or retirement plans. Or a gift they can keep as a memory. Unless the invitation mentions not to bring any gifts. Then a retirement card with best wishes is sufficient.

Now you know you should bring a gift, but what are good retirement gifts? In this article, I will explain more about awesome retirement gifts you can take to the retirement party. So continue reading.

What Gift To Take To A Retirement party

A good retirement gift is a thoughtful gift. You can collect memories from friends, family, and coworkers in a (photo)book or video. Or give a gift that matches the passions, hobbies, or plans of the retiree. Whether the retiree is a family member, co-worker, or friend you want to know what their plans and dreams are in this new chapter of their lives. So start digging for information, ask around within their social circle, and don’t be afraid to ask the retiree in person. You want to wish the retiree all the best in the future so a matching gift is a courteous gesture to take to the retirement party.

You also want to include a card along with the gift you take to the retirement party. And if the invitation says not to bring gifts then only a nice retirement card with best wishes is enough to take to the retirement party. You can always tag it to a nice bottle of wine if you don’t want to come empty-handed.

On the retirement card, you congratulate the retiree on their retirement and wish the retiree all the best for the future.

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What to write on a retirement card

If you’re a co-worker you can thank him/her for the lessons he/she has taught you and maybe share a favorite memory to make it more personal. For the card for your spouse/ friend or family member, you can write about things you’re looking forward to in the future now you have more time to spend with one another.

The best thing you can do is to make the retirement card as personal as possible. Sharing favorite memories and acknowledging the retiree’s hard work, achievements and successes are always good to write on the retirement card. If you’re having a hard time coming up with a good message then think about what you would like to hear when you retire. You probably want to hear that your work didn’t go unnoticed, you’re going to be missed and you want to be remembered in a certain way.

To help you out in finding the right words for your retirement card you should read my article with 52 ideas on What To Write In a Retirement Card

What’s A Good Retirement Gift For Men

There are all sorts of good retirement gifts out there. You just have to know the person and know what his retirement plans are. Does he have hobbies he likes to do and plans to continue on doing in retirement? Like golfing, running, or reading? Does he has travel plans or wants to fulfill his bucket list? These things are important to know to find the best retirement gift out there.

The most traditional retirement gift for men is to give a watch as it represents time. As a boss or co-worker, you give a watch as a symbol where you say: “You gave us your time, now we give you time”. And as a spouse, family member, or friend a watch as a retirement gift can represent the time you can now spend together.

Other retirement gifts can be concert tickets to his favorite band or theater tickets if he likes to go to the theater. A personalized gift like beer glasses with his name on it or a photobook is a good retirement gift as well. Meaningful gifts like a plaque recognizing his years of hard work or any major accomplishment can be a good retirement gift from a boss or co-worker. You can also preserve a special item from his years of service (this can be bronzed or in a box for display). Or give him the a funny retirement coffee mug.

One Of The Best Retirement Gifts: Masterclass

When someone is retiring you want to wish them the best in retirement. You hope they make the most of their time in retirement and wish them lots of fun, health and happiness. Well, you can put these words into a retirement gift and gift the gift of Masterclass.

MasterClass is an online education platform with the world’s most successful teachers. From cooking, acting, writing, singing, sports to science. Masterclass offers masterclasses taught by the best in the world: Gordon Ramsey, Christina Aquilera, Usher, Hans Zimmer, Stephen Curry, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Chin, etc.

What better retirement gift is a gift where the retiree has something fun to do, and gets the opportunity to learn something new from the best in the world and explore new passions and hobbies in retirement. With this gift they will make the most of their time in retirement, and that’s what retirement is all about.

You can gift them one single Masterclass from someone they admire or a hobby they enjoy. Or an All-Access Pass to all the masterclasses on the platform. Check out all the Masterclasses available here.

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What’s A Good Retirement Gift for Women

When it comes to a good retirement gift for women this can be very similar to men depending on her retirement plans. There isn’t really a traditional retirement gift for women, but they love getting gift baskets filled with all sorts of treats to enjoy in retirement. Find out what she likes and appreciates and create an awesome retirement gift basket. To get more inspiration you can check out my article 25 Fantastic Retirement Gift Basket Ideas.

If she has travel plans then a travel journal, travel accessories or a destination guide book is a good retirement gift. And if she loves cooking then you can take a new cookbook or a gift card to the retirement party or give the gift of cooking with Masterclass. Bring a box of vintage wine if she loves wine or for a more personalized gift give her wine glasses with her initial or name on it.

Read more: 35 Very Unique Retirement Gifts

You can bring a gift card from her favorite store(s) if she likes to shop or from her favorite restaurant to the retirement party. Or theater, concert or museum tickets are good retirement gifts as well. And for some women “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” so you can buy jewelry as a retirement gift.

How Much Money Should You Spend On A Retirement Gift?

The value of the retirement gift depends on how well you know the retiree. On average, people spend between $10 – $100 on a retirement gift depending on the relationship they have with the retiree and how much they can afford. With retirement gifts it’s best not to give cash but a gift that matches their plans.

If you have been good friends for over 20 years, something extravagant, meaningful or personal, but within your budget, is appropriate. As co-workers, you can group together and give one large gift to the retiree at the retirement party.

How much money to spend on a retirement gift as an employer

As a boss, you want to spend more than an individual would spend on a retirement gift because you have been the most beneficial of all the work the retiree has done. As the average as an individual is between $10-$100, you want to spend between $100 – $1000 on a retirement gift as a boss or employer. The value depends on how many years the employee has worked for the company and on what level the retiree has worked. And how valuable he or she has been to the company and how much you want them to feel appreciated.

How much money to spend on a retirement gift as a co-worker

If you are a close co-worker, then you probably want to give a retirement gift as an individual and spend a bit more money than average on a retirement gift. Don’t overspend if you can’t afford it. A meaningful gift is better than an over the top expensive gift.

As a team, you can collect cash to buy a bigger and more expensive retirement gift. The contribution to the pot can be anything between $5 – $50 is most of the time more than enough. And you want to keep it casual when it comes to group gifting so it’s best not to force guidelines on how much to give. When everyone is invited to the retirement party then it’s good manners that everyone contributes to the retirement gift.

How much money to spend on a retirement gift as a friend or family member

As a family member or friend, you have a personal relationship with the retiree. That doesn’t mean you have spent more money than any other person. With retirement gifts, it’s more about the thought that counts than the amount of money you spend. So stick to meaningful and personal gifts that match the retirement plans of the retiree, within your budget, and you are good.